The Yorkshire Dales

High Laning in Dentdale lies on the western edge of the The Yorkshire Dales National Park which covers an area of northern England over 800 square miles. From the limestone pavements of Airedale in the south to the remote villages of Swaledale in the north, and from the Vale of York in the east to the sweeping moorlands of the Pennine watershed and beyond in the West.

The word 'dale' is from the Old English 'dael' which has it's roots in the Nordic/Germanic words for valley, and most dales take their name from the stream or river which flows through them. The dales were formed from iceage glaciers carving out great U and V shaped valleys and exposing the underlying carboniferous limestone which makes up the famous limestone pavements at Malham.

Web: www.yorkshiredales.org.uk

White Scar Cave

Explore the longest show cave in Britain, on a guided tour through cascading waterfalls, massive banks of flowstone and into galleries adorned with stalactites and stalagmites. Discover strange formations like the Devil's Tongue, the Arum Lily and the Judge's Head in this subterranean landscape first explored in 1923. White Scar Cave is located on the B6255 around 2 miles outside Ingleton and is around 15 miles from Dent village.

Tel: 015242 41244

Web: www.whitescarcave.co.uk

Wensleydale

Wensleydale Creamery

The Wensleydale Creamery is based in the Yorkshire Dales' market town of Hawes, a half-hour's drive from Dent village, and is the home of the world famous Wensleydale cheeses. As well as producing handcrafted cheeses using traditional methods and milk from local farms, the creamery is also home to a visitor's centre, coffee shop, restaurant and the Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience, which includes interactive displays and cheese-making demonstrations.

Tel: 01969 667664

Web: www.wensleydale.co.uk

The Wensleydale Railway

is a heritage railway covering 22 miles from Redmire near Castle Bolton to Northallerton (the county town of North Yorkshire) and is the perfect way of visiting the best of Wensleydale, including the market town of Leyburn and the Georgian town of Bedale. Details on service running times can be downloaded from: wensleydale-railway.co.uk.

Aysgarth Falls National Park Centre

At Aysgarth, the River Ure tumbles down three picturesque limestone stepped waterfalls which have attracted visitors including Wordsworth and Turner for more than 200 years. The visitor centre not only has information about the waterfalls walk but also walks of the surrounding area including the villages or Aysgarth and Carperby. There is also parking and cafe.

Tel: 01969 662910

Web: www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/places/aysgarth_falls_national_park_centre

Bolton Castle

At more than 600 years old, Bolton Castle is one of the finest preserved medieval castles in England, and is still owned by direct descendants of the original owner Sir Richard le Scrope. In addition to touring the castle and gardens there's birds of prey displays, archery demonstrations and wild boar feeding, and also traditional crafts and medieval games.

Tel: 01969 623981

Web: www.boltoncastle.co.uk

The Forbidden Corner

The Forbidden Corner is an eccentric collection of tunnels, mazes, statues and follies set in 4 acres of parkland. Originally designed as a private garden folly, this unique tourist attraction has been delighting adults and children alike since opening to the public in 1994.

Tel: 01969 640638

Web: www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk

Swaledale

Wind your way from Wensleydale to Swaledale over the Buttertubs Pass, the setting of the second King of the Mountains stage of the 2014 Tour de France, and home to the 20 metre deep limestone potholes known as the Buttertubs.

Swaledale is a place of it's own, surrounded entirely by hills, the River Swale flows through picturesque dales' villages like Keld, Thwaite, Muker and Reeth - the centre of the 18^th lead mining industry.

Tan Hill Inn

Climbing up and over the moors north of the village of Keld you can reach the lonely plateau of Tan Hill, where at 1,732 feet you can find Britain's highest pub. Serving home-cooked food and real ales with panoramic views to the Lake District in the west and the North Yorkshire moors in the east.

Tel: 01833 628246

Web: tanhillinn.com

Airedale/Malhamdale

At the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales lies Malhamdale and Malham - a pretty village complete with stream running through it's centre. A short walk from the village is Malham Cove, a natural curved amphitheatre of limestone, standing over 260 feet tall, formed over 12,000 years by the waterfall of glacial meltwater from the last Ice Age. After Storm Desmond the waterfall temporarily sprang back in to life making it the highest waterfall in England. The limestone pavements above the cove provided a location for the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and provide spectacular views to the south.

Web: www.malhamdale.com